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I am pleased to feature my first guest-blogger, my friend Mrs. Esma Ali, who lives in Arcadia and is Director of Community Relations at Masjid Gibrael in San Gabriel. This Mosque held an interfaith event soon after the massacre in San Bernardino, and now is no different – here is the invitation info to the Ramadan Iftar dinner they are hosting this Saturday:

Riaz Kahn asked that I share this invitation, and says, “No words of condemnation of the horrific mass killings in Orlando can describe the pain and suffering of the loved ones.”

Esma Ali:

In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful,

On behalf of the Muslim community of San Gabriel, CA, we would like to express our shock, sorrow, and condemnation of the murder of 49 people in Orlando, Florida. No one deserved to die in such a horrific fashion. Our thoughts, prayers, and condolences are with the families of the deceased and the injured.

ISIS, you are a DISGRACE!! You are an ABOMINATION!! You do NOT represent Muslims!! Your senseless killing and your recruitment of psychopaths do NOT represent Muslims. You strive to hijack Islam just like Donald Trump strives to hijack America. There is one-to-one correspondence between violent extremists and wicked opportunists. Your crimes against humanity do NOT represent Islam. Your camp will NOT win and NEITHER will Trump’s camp.

The Boston brothers were kicked out of their Mosque for bizarre behavior. In fact, the FBI had planted extremists into Mosques in the hopes of recruiting the same. It was the Muslim community members who called the FBI to report the same individuals that the FBI themselves had planted. This created distrust in the Muslim community against the agencies and other community members at large. The officials then came and apologized and said they want to work WITH us. We Muslims shall continue in our efforts of safety, as proud Americans. We reiterate our commitment to peace and security of our nation, as well as our solidarity with fellow Americans. Mercy towards ALL is what Islam teaches.

Many groups have faced discrimination, including the GLBTQ community, Blacks, and Muslims ….. Each life matters. Everybody is a special somebody. Muhammad Ali was a fighter of hatred with love. The ONE and ONLY God of the Universe expects us to love ALL of HIS creation.

Islam stands for compassion, especially during this blessed month of Ramadan. Religion should provide a means of standing up for human dignity!!! Love your neighbor is what Islam teaches. Let me tell you a story. I moved into a neighborhood and invited some neighbors over to my place for some tea. I knocked on the door of my neighbor, Katie, to invite her and she said “ OFF MY PROPERTY, lady…” That hurt me….

In pain, I reached out to God and the connection with HIM charged my batteries of love, as always. Whenever I saw Katie thereafter, I would simply smile and say hello and thus bringing out the smile in her and helping her to wash away her hatred.

Religion is part of the solution. God’s love fills us and enables us to share the love with others.. Religion provides a vehicle to love. Together, our love shall overtake the enmity in the hearts of others, one heart at a time.